


you make me feel (like maybe I am somebody)

by Marinaralore



Category: Big Brother RPF, Frankiana, Pinoy Big Brother Otso
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-05
Updated: 2019-07-05
Packaged: 2020-06-13 05:43:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19595572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marinaralore/pseuds/Marinaralore





	you make me feel (like maybe I am somebody)

She could still hear her ex-housemates quietly chattering from inside as she exits and closes the door to the activity area.

  
She can’t really make out what they’re saying, but she knows it’s about her for sure.

  
Her hair is dripping, her hands feel warm and sticky, and her left pant leg is soaked through. She sighs, wondering briefly if her mom would get to watch this. She can’t remember exactly what day it is today, but August isn’t too far away anymore, right?

  
She’s been feeling so, _so_ heavy for a few days now, but today, just now, even more so. She doesn’t think she can go back in just yet (Kuya did say she _can_ go back inside the house, not that she _must_ ), so she decides to linger in the pool area for a while.

She slowly takes a seat by the pool, hugging her knees, ignoring the few pieces of white confetti falling from her hair. She watches a piece flutter down slowly and land onto the water through blurry eyes, not hearing a door open.

  
“Franki?”

  
She looks up and sees Diana, eyes wide and looking worried.

  
Franki quickly wipes her cheek as casually as she can. “Hey…” she says, smiling up at her friend.

  
“What happened?” Diana asks, kneeling down beside Franki and taking her forearm and gripping it gently.

  
Franki shakes her head, smiling. “I’m okay, Diana. I’m fine. Really.”

“Why—Well you’re obviously not,” Diana says, and then starts rubbing circles on Franki’s back. “Was it the others? What did they say to you?”

  
“No, no,” Franki says, swallowing minutely. “It’s okay. I’m not taking it personally. Everything they said was—“ She stops and looks at Diana. “Wait, how’d you know–?”

  
Diana gives her a knowing look. “I saw Akie washing egg yolk from his hair, and well… I _have_ seen this show before, you know.”

  
Franki laughs. “Yeah, _I_ haven’t. Not really.”

  
There’s a stretch of silence as Franki stares out into the water. Diana doesn’t stop rubbing her back.

  
“You know,” Franki starts, “I really kinda didn’t know what I was getting into… when I decided to join.”

  
Diana doesn’t say anything, just keeps rubbing her back.

  
“It just looked… fun,” Franki continues. “I didn’t know there would be so many challenges and so much competition, and…” She trails off. “All I wanted was to experience stuff, and enjoy myself… Make friends, and… _belong_ … you know?”

  
Diana is tracing tiny figure-eights on her shoulder now, still not saying anything but nodding her head.

  
Another stretch of silence, a bit longer this time, but it’s companionable and not awkward at all. It’s kinda weird, but Franki is even starting to feel a strange sort of calm washing over her now.

  
After a while, Diana speaks. “You’ve done all of that, though,” she says, voice soft and gentle. “You made a lot of friends, and… we did have a lot of fun, right?”

  
Franki looks at Diana with a close-lipped smile and nods. She drops her gaze, swallowing the lump in her throat. “I know I let you down 'cause I wasn’t making much effort during the last task… but I am _so_ proud of what you’ve achieved. Like, if they hadn’t changed the rules halfway through, I know you would’ve won.”

  
Diana winces a little. “They asked you my question, huh?”

  
“Yeah, it’s okay,” Franki smiles. “I needed to hear that.”

  
“ _Kasi naman sabi mo_ we needed to be as savage as we needed to be, _diba_? I wanna win and be in the Big Four, but I want us to be in it together, too, ” Diana says, her hand tightening its grip on Franki’s wrist, and there’s a sudden fierceness in her voice that surprises Franki, rendering her speechless and unable to break eye contact for a moment. It makes Franki feel overwhelmed and touched, and… _warm,_ all of a sudden.

  
“Diana, I–”

  
Just then the door to the house opens and Kiara comes out. Franki and Diana both startle and move away just an inch from each other. They watch as Kiara starts to head to the activity area, before spotting them sitting by the poolside.

  
“ _O_ guys, _ba’t andito kayo_?” She looks confused, looking over at Franki, who's coated in liquid and confetti, eyes a little glazed and cheeks pink. It’s obvious from her look that she has questions, but she thankfully doesn’t verbalize any.

  
Diana clears her throat. “ _Tinawag ka na ni Kuya?_ ”

  
“Yeah. _Yung_ grilling session _na ba ‘to_? _Tapos na kayo?_ ”

  
“Just me,” Franki replies, smiling.

  
Kiara nods. “Okay, well… I’ll just…” She gestures towards the activity area.

  
“Go,” says Franki.

  
“Good luck, Kia,” says Diana.

  
Kiara disappears behind the door to the activity area and they’re alone once again, but neither of them says anything for a while.

  
After a while, Franki breaks the silence.

  
“I don’t regret it,” she tells Diana. “Coming to the Philippines. Joining PBB.”

  
She turns to Diana with the brightest of smiles, the pool lights dancing in her eyes.

  
“I’m happy to be here.” The _’with you’_ follows unspoken, but Franki knows that Diana knows what she means just from how tight and how long she hugs her.

  
“We both smell like eggs,” Diana says once they let go, looking down at her now stained shirt. “I’m so glad _may tubig na_.”

  
Franki bursts out laughing. She feels so much lighter now.


End file.
